New Nadeau's sub shop will open in Exeter soon

Jeremy Nadeau stands next to a mural of downtown Exeter painted inside his new Nadeau's sandwich shop opening next month on Portsmouth Avenue in Exeter. (Jason Schreiber/Union Leader Correspondent)

EXETER – Jeremy Nadeau is excited about the upcoming opening of his new sandwich shop.

The 42-year-old restaurateur owns four Nadeau's shops in Manchester that have won awards, but now he'll finally own a shop in the town he calls home.

"I've been asked many times, 'Why don't you have a store here?'" Nadeau said.

He jumped at the chance to open a new Exeter location when Gandolfo's New York Deli closed its shop at 48 Portsmouth Ave. at the end of March.

Nadeau, who has lived in Exeter for 15 years, said the spot is perfect for his sandwich shop. It has traffic on Portsmouth Avenue. It's surrounded by residential areas and businesses, including Exeter Hospital, which he hopes will bring in a lunch crowd. The campus of Phillips Exeter Academy is also within walking distance.

"I think the location is absolutely terrific. It has everything I'm looking for," he said.

The addition of an Exeter location is the latest expansion for the family business started by Nadeau's father, Bob, back in 1969. Jeremy Nadeau now operates four shops while his brother-in-law owns one in Concord.

He described the business as a "premium quality sandwich shop" offering everything from all-natural ham, turkey and roast beef sandwiches to his most popular — the steak tip sub.

"That's the sandwich that put Nadeau's on the map," he said.

Unlike some other restaurants, customers shouldn't expect to see anything being microwaved at Nadeau's place. Everything is fresh and made to order,' he said.

"We're not a microwave shop," Nadeau said.

Nadeau is now in the process of hiring part-time and full-time workers to run the Exeter location, which is expected to open by the middle of August.

Nadeau is now working on getting the shop ready to open. There's a lot to be done, but he has made progress on the interior design, which includes a wall mural painted by Massachusetts artist Rob Surette.

The mural shows landmarks in downtown Exeter, including the bandstand and the old Exeter Town Hall.

Nadeau also plans to hang historical photographs of Exeter around the restaurant as well.